― A strong reputation is probably the key asset in our industry

Aleksander has an uncanny ability to approach issues from a perspective that the rest of us may not even have considered. And to create financial models that not only illustrate potential scenarios, but also identify which of these businesses should opt for and what they need to do to get there. Keep it up, Aleksander! (With or without a tie.)

”When I joined Stratema in 2017, I had been working in M&A for a couple of years elsewhere, in both construction and technology. I’m now fully focused on the construction sector, where I have just completed a series of acquisitions for Fasadgruppen. Stratema has been developing apace over the last few years. There were about six or seven of us in 2017. We are now expanding and have just recruited three more people. I believe that we are on the right track. That we have established a robust standing in the market and are considered dependable and professional. A strong reputation is probably the key asset in our industry. I worked for a year in Brazil, and it is hardly an exaggeration to say that they have a slightly different take on the world of work. It is incredibly tough and individualistic. And their society is marked by immense social differences. The history of Norway – as well as Sweden – with social democracy and community spirit, illustrates that we have a different approach. That we believe collaboration and less hierarchical thinking to always be a better strategy. We all collaborate closely at Stratema, also across the ”technology-construction divide.” And there is always a colleague nearby who is happy to chip in. This proximity also facilitates quality assurance.

I worked for a while on the technology side before joining Stratema, and there is a notable difference between individual businesses in the technology industry and construction industry, respectively. It is my experience that construction companies tend to be a bit more down to earth. And they typically want everything to be in Norwegian, at least in smaller businesses. In our industry there is a tendency to use English across the board, but we will of course provide everything in Norwegian if that is what clients want. We are probably a bit more pragmatic than the big players in that regard. A slightly similar observation can be made when it comes to dress code. You may be better off not sporting a typical financial industry look when visiting a construction company. So it might be a good idea to leave the tie at home.”